Diffusion apparatus.



N0. 7:0,533. I Y Patented Oct. 7, I902.

c. STEFFEN.

DIFFUSION APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 23, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet l.

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' No. 7|0,533. Patented Oct. 7, I902.

C. STE'FFEN.

DIFFUSION APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 23, 1899,) (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Patented Oct. 7, I902.

C. STEFFEN.

DIFFUSION APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 23, 1899.)

3 SheetsSheet 3.

(No Model.)

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CARL STEFFEN, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

DlFFUSlON APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,533, dated October '7, 1902.

Application filed November 23, 1899. b'erial No. 738,062. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, CARL STEFEEN, engineer, a subject of the Emperor of Austria- Hungary, and a resident of No. 40 Heugasse, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria-l'lungary, have invented a certain new and useful Dif fusion Apparatus, of which the following is an exact, full, and clear description.

This invention relates to an apparatus for extracting by difiusion a concentrated and pure juice from beet-roots, sugar-cane, or other plants containing sugar.

The apparatus is shown on the accompanying drawings in several modifications in which the diffusion process is carried out in a similar manner, such process forming the subject-matter of a patent granted to me May 21, 1901, No. 674,483.

Figure 1 is a partly front elevation and partly vertical section of an apparatus having only one diffusing vessel. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the lower end of the diffusing vessel drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a complete apparatus constructed as (infusing-battery. Fig. 4 is the plan view of the diffusing vessels alone. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through one diffusing vessel. Fig. 6 is aseotional elevation of a further modification of the apparatus consisting of one suitable diffusing vessel receiving the slices, with which vessel is connected by suitable pipe connections and fittings a battery of, for instance, ten vessels or receptacles only containing diffusion liquids.

The construction and operation of the apparatus according to Figs. 1 and 2 is as follows: The beet-roots, sugar-cane, or the like from which sugar is to be extracted are out in a cutting-machine of known construction and fed by a suitable conveyer 1 into the upper end of a diffusing vessel 2, which, as shown in the drawings, is of tubular or cylindrical shape, but may also have any other suitable form. The slices fill the receptacle 2 in form of a column, in which the diffusing liquid reaches a level, as indicated in Fig. 1 by a dotted line. At the lower end of the vessel 2 is attached the casing 3 of a suitable disintegrating apparatus, which, as shown in the drawings by way of example, consists of rotating grinding-disks 3, operating against stationary rings 8 of chilled casting or other suitable material rigidly connected to the casing 3'. This disintegrating apparatus has for its object to disintegrate to a homogeneous pulp the particularly diffused slices, together with the dilfusing liquid impregnating the latter. The lower end of the casing 3 of the disintegrating apparatus communicates with a pipe 4, through which the pulp is drawn from the casing 3 by means of a suitable (louble-acting pump 5 or other suitable apparatus in order that such pulp can be fed to an apparatus 7 through the piping 6 of the pump 5 or the like. The apparatus is adapted 1 to separate the liquid from the solid residues and may either be a filter-press, roller-press, or the like of any ordinary or Well-known construction. The solid residues separated from the liquid are emptied from the apparatus 7 into a suitable receptacle 8, from which they are removed by a worm conveyer or the like. The pressed-off liquid is passed from the apparatus 7 through the outlet 9 of the same into achamber10 and a pipe 10 to chamber 10 and thence through the pipe 10 in order to be refed through the latter to the difiusin g vessel 2 at the lower end. In about the height of the level of the diffusing liquid in the vessel 2 is arranged a ring 11, forming an annular oharnber whose inner wall formed by the vessel 2 is provided with holes or slots, so that only liquid or concentrated juice issues from the vessel 2, which former may be drawn or let off into measuring vessels 12. A receptacle 13 for water communicates with the apparatus '7 through a pipe 14, provided with a cock or valve, and also connects through a pipe with pump 15 and overflow-pipe 15 whose open end leads or extends into the receptacle 13, the delivery of water for diluting the liquid discharged from the apparatus 7,while the pipe 14 communicates indirectly through a vessel 10 with the outlet-pipe 10 The vessel 10, acting as pressure-reservoir and hav ing a fioat 10 is preferably inserted between the pipes 10 and 10", such float eifecting the automatic control of a valve 15 in the pipe 15 through the connections 10 10 and the drum-shaft 10. The regulated delivery of the slices after their partial difiusion in the vessel 2 to the disintegrating apparatus 3 is secured by the radial arms 18, Fig. 2, of two driven shafts 16 17, such arms preventing, on

the one'hand, the falling down of the slices from the receptacle 2 into the disintegrating apparatus and, on the other hand, the clinging of the column of material in the receptacle 2. Above the level of the diffusing liquid a column of slices not penetrated by the liquid rests upon the material column, the former causing the uniform feed of the material column in the vessel 2. The annular chamber for the overflowing concentrated liquid and formed by the ring 11 communicates with a pipe 19, leading to a pump 20 or other conveying apparatus, in whose piping is inserted a suitable heating apparatus for the juicefor instance, tube heating-body 21. By this apparatus the liquid is sucked from the annular chamber 11 through the pump 20, pressed through the heating apparatus 21, and fed back again through a pipe 22, communicating with the latter above into the diffusing vessel 2, so that the fresh supplies of slices come in contact with the hot liquid. In order to secure a uniform operation of the disintegrating apparatus in the casing 3, it is recommended to establish a communication between the pressu re-pipe of the pump 5 and the difiusing vessel 2 through a pipe 23, provided with a valve, the said vessel 2 being in communication with the casing 3. After opening the valve in the pipe 23 liquid pulp is fed under pressure through the pump 5 of the disintegrating apparatus, and in this manner a clogging of the grinding-disks is prevented. The column of the diffusingliquid contained in the vessel or receptacle 2 should preferably have a height or level not less than four meters. This height can, however, be increased, if desired. The quantity of fresh slices collected above the liquid level in the receptacle or vessel 2 which are fed to the diffusing process can extend about one meter above the liquid-level.

Figs.3 to 5 show irrespective of constructive details, which can be altered in many ways, a modification of the apparatus in which a series or battery of difiusing receptacles or vessels of which each is fed with slices are combined in the form of a battery. The pipe 23 in this form is like the pipe 23 of Fig. 1, except that it connects with the casing 3 through the pipe 30, which connects with the receptacle 2, instead of through the said receptacle itself. The operating parts of the apparatus identical with this modification of the apparatus are provided with the reference-numerals corresponding to the parts of the construction of the apparatus according to Figs. 1 and 2, so that only the alterations need be more fully described or explained. The apparatus according to Figs. 3 to 5 consists of six diffusing receptacles or vessels 2. The number of these vessels can of course be varied, if desired. The vessels are combined in the known manner into a diffusing-battery, which is operated in the usual manner. In the pipe 10, which receives the liquid discharged from the separating apparatus 7, is inserted a pump 25, through whose pressurepipe 24 the discharged liquid is again fed into the battery. The prepared or concentrated diffusion juice is fed through the pipe 40 into the known drawing-off apparatuses of the usual difiusing-battery. This apparatus operates as follows: The solid residue passes from the separating apparatus 7 after lixiviation by the water supplied from the receptacle 13 into a vessel with the worm conveyer- 8 in order to be removed in this manner fromin the above-described manner through the pipe 4, pump 5, and pressure-pipe 6 into the separating apparatus 7--for instance, filterpress. In this apparatus the solid residue is separated from the adhering liquid. The latter again passes to the pump 25 through the outlet 9 into the chamber 10 and pipe 10, with which a pipe 15 communicates, the latter also communicating with the water-receptacle 13. By means of the pump 25 the diffusing liquid is fed in the above-described manner through the pipe 24 of the battery. The fresh slices passing into the battery are fed into the first one of the series of the cells 2 of the diffusing-battery in the known manner, whereupon the diffusing liquid is passed through a pipe 36 into the same body or vessel in order to completely fill up same. The pressing forward of the diffusing liquid into the battery is then interrupted and the liquid is fed to the heating-body 21 through the pipe 19 and pump 20 in order to pass therefrom over new slices of a new diffuser 2that is, a diiferent one from that just mentioned above-until these fresh slices are sufiiciently heated, whereupon the circulation caused through the pipe 19 and pump 20 is interrupted and the diffusion process takes its usual course.

The modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6 represents the construction of the known diffuser in combination with a series or battery of vessels containing diffusing liquid. Also in this case the corresponding parts of the above-described modification of the apparatus are marked by the same reference-numerals. is introduced by suitable meansfor instance, worm conveyer 1into the diffuser, which is connected, as described with reference to the modifications of the previous figures, by suitable connecting pipes and fittings (indicated by the same figures) with a disintegrating apparatus, pump, separating and heating device, the latter being provided with a pipe 22, through which the heated diffusing liquid can be fed through suitable outlets provided with cocks or valves A B to J to the series of ves- A quantity of fresh slices sels I II III to X, the outlets of which carrying cocks or valves A B to J are in communication with a pipe the branches Q and M of which provided with cocks or valves N and Z respectively are in communication with the upper end of the diffuser 2 and return-pipe Y of the last vessel X of the liquidbattery. Another vessel 12 is inserted,which is also adapted to be fed with liquid from the pipe 22 through the cock or valve 12 of an outlet of pipe 22. The operation of this modification is as follows: The diffuser 2 is fed by the conveyer 1 or another suitable device with a proper quantity of fresh slices. Then concentrated diffusing liquid from the first vessel I of the battery after its outlet-valve A and valve Z of the pipe M have been opened, but valve N of the pipe Q, leading to the diffuser2, as well as valve Z in the pipe Y, closed, is introduced by the pipes M and Y into the diffuser 2 from below over the fresh slices until the diffuser is properly filled. Now the valve Z is closed and valve N opened. By means of the pipe 19 and pump 20, whose pressure-pipe communicates with the heating-body 21, the heated juice then passes out through the pipe 22 in communication with the heating-body. The pipe 22 is provided with closable outlets A B O D E F G H for each vessel I II III to X. Then the valve of the outlet A is open, the heated juice is fed into the vessel I and circulated through the diffuser until the fresh slices of the same have become correspondingly heated. Furthermore, the outlet A of the first vessel I is closed, and the contents of the vessel II are fed on the valve N being open through the pipe Q from above into the diffuser. At the same time the quantity of juice corresponding to this quantity of diffusionslices is on the outlet A being closed drawn off into the receptacle 12 through the opened outlet 12 of the pipe 22 in order to be removed from the battery. In the same manner the quantity of liquid contained in the vessels III to IX of the liquid-battery passes successively into the diffuser 2. The filling of the front end of the liquid-battery from the vessel I in the direction toward the vessel IX is likewise effected systematically by the pump 20, so that as soon as the contents of the ninth vessel pass into the diffuser the diffusion of these slices from these vessels is completed. The liquid from the receptacle X now passes in the same manner into the diffuser. \Vith this last vessel X, in which the liquid is heated by means of a steam-coil, the diifusion process is completed. The pump 20 is stopped, the valve 27 opened, and the contents of the diffuser 2 pass through the latter by means of a worm conveyersimilar to that described in connection with the previous figures 26 or in any other suitable manner into the disintegrating apparatus 3, whereas at the same time liquid from the vessel X enters the diffuser through the pipe Y for diluting the pulp. Through the pipe 4 and the pump 5 the pulp is fed into the pipe 6 of the separating apparatus 7. The separated liquid issuing from the outlet 9 of this apparatus passes through the pipe 10 into the vessel X again after the vessel Z in the outlet-pipe Y has been closed. In this manner the diffuser 2 becomes quite empty and its whole contents pressed by the disintegrating apparatus 3 and pump 5 into the separating apparatus 7. The residues are after their removal from the separating apparatus conducted away by worm 8 or the like, while the whole of the pressed-off liquid of the pulp returns into the vessel X.

The quantity of water which is necessary for correspondingly diluting the pulp likewise issues from the vessel13 through the pipe 15 into the vessel X. In the same manner the operation is repeated during the treatment of each charge.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for extracting a concentrated and pure juice from beet-roots, sugarcane and other plants containing sugar, the combination of a diffusing vessel with an apparatus for producing a pulp from the partially-diffused slices and diffusing liquid, a device for separating the solid residues from the liquid of the pulp, means for transferring the pulp into said device, a pipe in communication with the separating apparatus for refeeding the liquid of the pulp to the diffusing vessel and means for passing off the concentrated j uice from the diffusing vessel,su bstantially as described and shown in the drawings.

2. In an apparatus for extracting a concen trated and pure juice from beet-roots, sugarcane and other plants containing sugar, the combination of a diffusing vessel with an apparatus for producing a pulp from the partially-diffused slices and the diffusing liquid, a device for separating the solid residues from the liquid of the pulp, means for transferring the pulp into said device, a pipe in connection with the separating apparatus for refeeding the liquid of the pulp to the diffusing vessel, means for passing ofi the concentrated juice from the diffusing vessel and a water vessel for feeding water to dilute the liquid of the pulp, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.

3. In an apparatus for extracting a concentrated and pure juice from beet-roots, sugarcane and other plants containing sugar, the combination of a diffusing vessel with an apparatus for producing a pulp from the partially-diffused slices and the diffusing liquid, a device forseparatin g the solid residues from the liquid of the pulp, means for transferring the pulp into said device, a pipe in communication with the separating apparatus for refeeding the liquid of the pulp to the diffusing vessel, means for passing ofi the concentrated juice from the difiusiug vessel, a water Vessel for feeding water to dilute the liquid of the pulp and suitable means for forcing the concentrated juice through a heating device aud feeding same at the upper end of the diffusing vessels over fresh-supplied slices, substantially as described and shown in the drawings. a

4. In an apparatus for extracting a concentrated and pure j mice from beet-roots, sugarcane and other plants containing sugar, the combination of a diffusing vessel with an apparatus for producing a pulp from the partially-diffused slices and the difiusing liquid, means for controlling the feed or supply of 'the slices to the disintegrating apparatus, a

device for separating the solid residues from the liquid of the pulp, means for transferring the pulp into said device, a pipe in communication with the separating apparatus for refeeding the liquid of the pulp to the diifusing vessel and suitable means for passing off the concentrated juice from the difiusing vessel, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.

5. In an apparatus for extracting a concentrated and pure juice from beet-roots, sugarcane, and other plants containing sugar, the combination of a diffusing vessel with an apparatus for producing a pulp from the partially-diffused slices and the diffusing liquid, means for controlling the feed or supply of the slices to the disintegrating apparatus, a device for separating the solid residues from the liquid of the pulp, means for transferring the pulp to such device, a pipe in communication with the separating device for refeeding the liquid of the pulp to the difiusing vessel, means for discharging the concentrated juice from the difiusing vessel, a water vessel for feeding water to dilute the liquid of the pulp and a pipe communicating with the disintegrating apparatus and the pressure-pipe of the means through which the pulp is transferred into the separating apparatus,substantially as described and shown in the drawings.

6. In an apparatus for extracting a concentrated and pure juice from beet-roots, sugarcane and other plants containing sugar, the combination of a series of diffusing vessels forming a battery, with a disintegrating apparatus for forming the partially-diffused slices with the difiusing liquid into a pulp, means for separating the pulp into solid residues and liquid, which latter is refed to the diffusing vessel, and a suitable device for circulating the concentrated liquid over fresh slices in the diffusers, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

CARL STE FFEN.

Witnesses:

ALVESTO S. HOGUE, AUGUST FUGGER. 

